Flush tank



FLUSH TANK Filed April 21, 1951 /K u /J #x 5 j v v7 Y 2 307/412 MAM? n (Ittomeg Patented Maro 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-` FLUSH TANK C. Harold de Witt,` Santa Monica, Calif.

Application April 21, 1951, Serial No. 222,277

3 Claims.

mediumof a head of compressed air within thel venient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom,.economi cal of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiorityv and serviceability;

The invention also comprises novel details of. construction and novel combinations and ar- '-1 rangements of parts, which willmore fully appear in the course of the following description. How.. ever, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of flush tank means embodying features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof.

Fig. .3 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of Fig. 2, the same being shown in flushing position.

The present flush tank means comprises, generally, a tank 5 having an inlet 6 at the top and a bottom outlet 1, a flow line 8 from outlet 1 to ,a toilet bowl 9, a valve I controlling flow between said outlet and flow line and controlled by a handle II, and pump means I2 connected to the yalve I0 and operable therewith for both effecting sealing of tank and supplying a charge of air to the tank to give impetus to the water .iiowing therefrom when the valve is opened.

Tank 5 may have any suitable shape and, if desired, may be concealed as by embodying the same in the wall I3 through which inlet 6 passes. In the present case, the tank is shown adjacent such a Wall and may be fastened thereon in the usual manner. As shown, the wall I4 of the tank is provided with a channel I5 in which the means 2 I2 is housed. Tank 5v is sealedin that the same is not provided with the usual cover and, in eliect, constitutes an enlarged closed connection` between inlet 6 and outlet l to .provide a waterstoring container of suitable size.

The valve Il) preferably comprises asold'rubber ball I6 that normally closes a valve seat I1 in ow line 3 at any pointthereof below where outlet 'I'v enters said now line.

'l'hehandle II is on the end of'allaterallyextending rod I8? that isV rotationally: .held4 inf a,

housing I9 that extends-forwardly from now line`A 8: An arm 2tl'is aliixedtorod l Sand has a slotted end 2I that connects to arod 22 which is disposed axially in the upper portion oi the now line. Valveball I6 is adjustably carried. by rod 22. It will be seen that, :rom-.anormal position closing valve seat Il, the ball is.v raised by downward manipulation oi' handle I I so that water'inV tank.

5 mayireely flow through line 8 mtotoilet bowl 9.

The means` I2 comprises a cylinder' that is arr upper tubular extension 23 of now line 8, a piston 211 withinvsaidv cylinder and -connected to move together with valve ball ISbyrod 22a light compression .Y spring 25 `lbetween the upper end of piston 2lil and the-closed upper end 26 of the cylinder, an air inlet vport 21 in the wall of said cylinder immediately Aalcove piston 24 when the latter is in its lowermost position, and a check valve 28 in an air connection 29 .between the upper portion of cylinder 23 and tank 5.V Piston 24 is preferably formed of a hard rubber body 30 at each end of which. is provided a leather sealing cup 3| to insure against movement oi air past said piston.

Assuming tank 5 is filled with water to the level 32 (Fig. 2). To institute flushing action, handle II is swung downward. The rst movement oi the handle will cause piston 24 to close port 21 and continued movement of the handle will project the piston upwardly in cylinder 23, compressing spring 25. Because port 21 is closed, air in said cylinder above the piston will `be displaced into the air space 33 above water level 32, check valve 28 automatically opening to allow such passage` of air. Thus, as the valve ball I6 is unseated, the water in tank 5 is propelled downwardly by said displaced air and also by a stored cushion of air asiwill later be seen, said water entering the toilet bowl under such air pressure and also by force of gravity.

When the handle II is released, spring 25 slowly expands and projects piston 24 downward. The rst iiow into line 8 will lill cylinder 23 below the piston and retard such downward movement of the piston. However, when tank 5 is substantially depleted, although water is entering the same through inlet 6, the resistance to the piston is removed, and spring 25 becomes eiective to depress the piston.

During the rst part of the downward movement of the piston, valve ball I6 is still unseated and water continues to flow from tank 5 to that degree supplied by inlet 6,. As the valve ball seats to shut ot the iiow, port 21 opens. Since the interior of tank 5 has become quite raried since the same was sealed against ingress of air while the water was discharging, check valve is held open or is opened by air entering port 21 and seeking its way into the top of tank 5.

Valve I is now closed and inlet 6 is supplying water to tank 5. At any time that the air pressure in tank reaches atmospheric pressure,v

that is, balances with the pressure in the upper part of tubular extension 23, check valve 28 will close. Now, as Water continues to enter the tank, check valve 28 will trap a cushion of air which will shut oi flow from inlet when the resistance of said air cushion becomes sufliciently high. The apparatus is now ready for another flushing operation.

While the invention that has been illustrated and described is now regarded as the preferred embodiment, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In ushing apparatus, a tank having a water inlet, a water outlet and a check-valve-controlled air inlet, said tank being otherwise airtight, a manually-operated valve to control flow through the outlet, and air-displacing means connected to and simultaneously operable with the movement of the manually-operated valve to introduce air through said check-valve-controlled air inlet into the tank above the water therein, said air-displacing means being operable during the opening movement of the manually-operated valve.

2. In flushing apparatus. a tank having a water inlet, a water outlet and a check-valve-controlled air inlet, said tank being otherwise airtight, a manually-operated valve to control ow through the outlet, and air-displacing means connected to and simultaneously operable with the movement of the manually-operated valve to introduce air through said check-valve-controlled air inlet into the tank above the water therein, said air-displacing means being operable during the opening movement of the manually-operated valve, said air-displacing means comprising a piston operating in an upper tubular extension of the water outlet.

3. In flushing apparatus, a tank having a water inlet, a water outlet and a check-valve-controlled air inlet, said tank being otherwise airtight, a. manually-operated valve to control flow through the outlet, and air-displacing means connected to and simultaneously operable with the movement of the manually-operated valve to introduce air through said check-valve-controlled air inlet into the tank above the water therein, said air-displacing means being operable during the opening movement of the manually-operated valve, said air-displacing means comprising a piston operating in an upper tubular extension of the Water outlet, and a spring in said tubular extension to return the piston and manuallyoperated valve to initial position after discharge of water from the tank.

C. HAROLD DE WITT.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Holmberg Sept. 19. 1916 Number 

